A fundraiser will be held Saturday for Zayla Mitsdarffer, the 12-year-old from Bonfield battling cancer for a third time.
The Herscher American Legion Post 795 will host the event from 4 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are $10 for those 13 and older, with those younger admitted for free, and they will be available at the door. There will be raffles and auction items, as well as kids activities.
For the unabridged version of this story, subscribe to The Daily Journal's print edition or E-edition
Zayla Mitsdarffer glanced up at her mother. Tears that had formed in the corner of her eyes began to find their way down her swollen cheeks.
The conversation that had started out in a lighthearted fashion had turned serious, and it was beginning to overwhelm the 12-year-old. The brave face that had been on display on this warm summer night in rural Bonfield had vanished like the sun that had set only minutes before.
She tugged on the army-style hat on her head. Her eyes began to fill with moisture. She glanced over to her mother seated to her left at the wooden kitchen table.
Her mother looked back. When their eyes connected, the youngster's lower lip quivered, and she buried her head into mom's waiting arms.
"Sometimes it just gets to be too much for her," explained her mother, Christy. "We have our good days and our bad days.
One in every six men will get prostate cancer, and it is one of the leading causes of cancer death among men. That is why Presence St. Mary's Hospital, Bipin Bhayani, M.D., and Kent Frye, M.D., have partnered to offer free prostate cancer screening tests from 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17 in the Franco Conference Center at the hospital.
After an informed discussion with your physician, this screening may be recommended for men older than the age of 50, men who have a family history of prostate cancer, and African-American men. A limited number of exams are available. Men currently not under the care of a urologist are allowed to participate. A PSA Blood Test will be provided by Alverno Laboratories.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call Presence St. Mary's at 815-937-8793 from 8 a.m to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or visit presencehealth.org/stmarys-kankakee.
Zayla Mitsdarffer glanced up at her mother. Tears that had formed in the corner of her eyes began to find their way down her swollen cheeks.
The conversation that had started out in a lighthearted fashion had turned serious, and it was beginning to overwhelm the 12-year-old. The brave face that had been on display on this warm summer night in rural Bonfield had vanished like the sun that had set only minutes before.
She tugged on the army-style hat on her head. Her eyes began to fill with moisture. She glanced over to her mother seated to her left at the wooden kitchen table.
Her mother looked back. When their eyes connected, the youngster's lower lip quivered, and she buried her head into mom's waiting arms.
"Sometimes it just gets to be too much for her," explained her mother, Christy. "We have our good days and our bad days.
